Who is Larry Nassar?

A timeline of his decades-long career, sexual assault convictions and prison sentences

1978

Nassar begins working with gymnasts as a student athletic trainer at North Farmington High School in suburban Detroit. He earns a varsity high school letter in women’s artistic gymnastics in 1981 thanks to his work with the team.

1985

Nassar graduates from University of Michigan with a degree in kinesiology. During his time at Michigan he works with the football team and track and field program.

1986

Nassar joins the USA Gymnastics national team medical staff as an athletic trainer.

Dr. Larry Nassar, shown here in this 2008 file photo. (File photo)

1988

Nassar begins working with John and Kathryn Geddert, who later open Gedderts’ Twistars USA Gymnastics Club in Dimondale, Michigan.

1985-1989

Nassar works as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Wayne State University while enrolled in a master’s degree program. He drops out when accepted to medical school at Michigan State University.

1993

1994

A gymnast, who later becomes an Olympic medalist, alleges Nassar begins to sexually abuse her in 1994, according to a 2016 lawsuit. The abuse allegedly continued for six years.

1996

Nassar completes family practice residency at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing, which has since merged with Sparrow Hospital.

Nassar is appointed national medical coordinator for USA Gymnastics. He attends the Olympic Games in Atlanta with gymnastics teams.

Larry Nassar, front right, reaches to assist U.S. gymnast Kerri Strug, second from left, who screams in pain as she is carried from the floor by team officials after she injured her ankle during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. (Photo: IOPP, AFP/Getty Images)

Gedderts’ Twistars USA Gymnastics Club opens in Dimondale.

1997

Nassar completes a primary care sports medicine fellowship, then becomes a team physician and assistant professor at MSU.

Nassar begins working as team physician at Holt High School.

Nassar becomes a team physician and assistant professor at MSU.

A parent raises concerns to John Geddert about Nassar, but Geddert doesn’t notify police, according to a lawsuit filed in 2017.

1998

According to court records, Nassar begins sexually abusing the six–year–old daughter of a family friend. She later tells police Nassar penetrated her vagina with his fingers “every other week for five years”.

A student–athlete at MSU reports concerns regarding Nassar to trainers or coaches, but the university “failed to take any action” as a result, a lawsuit later claims.

2000

A second student–athlete at MSU reports concerns regarding Nassar to trainers or coaches, but the university “failed to take any action” as a result, according to a lawsuit filed in 2017.

Nassar attends Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, with gymnastics teams.

Rachael Denhollander, a gymnast who later files a criminal complaint against Nassar, says she was sexually abused by Nassar during treatments for lower back pain in 2000. She was 15 at the time.

Rachael Denhollander poses at her home in Louisville, Kentucky, on Aug. 23, 2016. (Photo: Robert Scheer/IndyStar)

2004

The alleged victim in Nassar’s Ingham County charges tells her parents about the sex abuse but they do not report it to police, according to court records.

Nassar receives or attempts to receive images of child pornography, according to a federal indictment unsealed in 2016.

2008

Nassar attends Olympic Games in Beijing, China, with gymnastics teams.

2014

MSU clears Nassar of any wrongdoing three months after a recent MSU graduate complains he sexually assaulted her during a medical examination.

Nassar retires as USA Gymnastics Medical Coordinator, but says he will remain team doctor for women’s artistic gymnastics.

Aug. 4, 2016

Aug. 29, 2016

Former gymnast Rachael Denhollander files a criminal complaint against Nassar with MSU Police. She alleges that in 2000, at age 15, she was sexually abused by Nassar during treatments for lower back pain.

Aug. 30, 2016

MSU relieves Nassar of clinical and patient duties.

Sept. 8, 2016

A former Olympic medalist files a civil lawsuit in California, alleging sexual abuse by Nassar from 1994 to 2000.

Nov. 8, 2016

Nov. 22, 2016

Nassar is charged in Ingham County with three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13. Facing up to life in prison if convicted, he pleads not guilty and is freed on $1 million bond. At a press conference announcing the charges, officials say they have received about 50 complaints from victims alleging sexual abuse by Nassar.

Former MSU doctor Larry Nassar appears for a pre–trial examination in Ingham County District Court Thursday Dec. 8, 2016 in Mason. (Dave Wasinger/Lansing State Journal)

Dec. 21, 2016

Nassar is denied bond on the federal charges. A FBI agent testifies in court that investigators found at least 37,000 images and videos of child pornography on hard drives seized during a search of Nassar’s home.

The lawsuit alleges that twice — in 1999 and 2000 — alleged victims raised concerns to MSU coaches or trainers and that the university conducted no investigations. The lawsuit also alleges that in 1997 a parent raised concerns to Geddert, who didn’t report them to police.

And in 2004, according to the lawsuit, allegations were made to the Meridian Township Police Department.

Larry Nassar appears in court on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, during a motion hearing at the 55th District Court in Mason.(Julia Nagy/Lansing State Journal)

Jan. 24, 2017

Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs suspends Nassar’s medical licenses. The department says it received three complaints against Nassar – on Sept. 12, Sept. 15 and Dec. 22 – all after he became a figure in the USA Gymnastics scandal.

Jan. 26, 2017

Police in Texas confirm they are conducting a sexual assault investigation related to Nassar. Gary Jewell, an attorney for Bela and Martha Karolyi, said Texas Rangers showed up at their famed Karolyi Ranch as part of the investigation.

Feb. 7, 2017

Federal officials file an additional charge against Nassar, alleging that he destroyed computer files that had contained images of child pornography.

Feb. 14, 2017

Kathie Klages announces her retirement, before the completion of her 27th year as head women's gymnastics coach. A second gymnasts alleges in court documents that Klages discouraged her from reporting Nassar's conduct.

In this Feb. 19, 2016 photo, Michigan State University gymnastics head coach Kathie Klages reacts during the womens gymnastic’s meet against Illinois at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Mich. (Sundeep Dhanjal/The State News via AP)

Feb. 17, 2017

A district court judge ruled at the end of a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence for Nassar to stand trial in Ingham County Circuit Court on the three sexual assault charges that aren't related to his role as a doctor.

March 17, 2017

An MSU Title IX investigator completed an internal investigation prompted by a complaint made in September 2016 that Nasssar sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl during medical appointments in 2000. The report concluded that, based on the preponderance of the evidence standard, Nassar violated university policy by sexually assaulted the girl.

April 6, 2017

A state disciplinary board revoked Nassar‘s medical license for at least three years and required him to pay $100,000 before reapplying, according the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

June 23, 2017

Ingham County District Court Judge Donald Allen Jr. ruled there’s enough evidence for Nassar to stand trial on 12 counts of first–degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges relate to six women and girls who testified during the three–day preliminary hearing that Nassar sexually assaulted them during medical appointments.
Read more.

June 30, 2017

District Court Judge Julie Reincke sent Nassar's Eaton County case to the trial court level after ruling there was enough evidence for him to stand trial. Before issuing her decision, Reincke said the three women and girls who testified that Nassar sexually assaulted them were “very credible.” Read more.

Hours after Reincke's decision, 23 more women and girls joined a federal lawsuit against Nassar, MSU and USA Gymnastics, bringing the total number of women and girls who have filed lawsuits to 119. Read more.

July 11, 2017

Nassar pleaded guilty to three child pornography charges during a hearing in federal court in Grand Rapids. Read more.

Oct. 18, 2017

Starting in October, three members of the Fierce Five team that won Olympic gymnastics gold in 2012 publicly said they were abused by Nassar. McKayla Maroney was the first, doing so in a Twitter post. Weeks later, Aly Raisman said during a 60 Minutes interview that Nassar abused her. And in a November Instagram post, Gabby Douglas said Nassar sexually assaulted her.

Nov. 22, 2017

As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop eight other charges in Ingham County, not to add charges for other sexual assault incidents known as of Nov. 22 and not to charge on child pornography evidence that doesn't relate to the existing federal child pornography charges.

The deal included a sentence agreement that sets Nassar's minimum sentence between 25 and 40 years in prison. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Nov. 29, 2017

The plea agreement carried similar provisions as the Ingham County plea deal, including the sentence agreement and dismissing other charges.

Dec. 4, 2017

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette asks MSU President Lou Anna Simon to release findings of "the internal review that former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is conducting into the actions of Lawrence Nassar while employed by Michigan State University."

Jan. 16, 2018

Jan. 22, 2018

Hours after the suspension announcement, Geddert says in letter to families whose children train at Twistars that he is preparing to retire.

Jan. 24, 2018

Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on sexual assault charges. The hearing was expected to last four days with 88 victim-impact statements. More women and girls came forward to speak, and in total 156 women and girls made statements over seven days.